Boat-operating mechanism



. v -l618, 180 p 1,. 2 .192 J..- RD 3 BOAT OPERATING MECHANISM Ioriginal Filed Ap 19, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 7: mvENTOR wrmss: I IATTORNEV wrruzss:

Feb, 22, 1927. f 8,180

J. FORD BOAT OPERATING MECHANISM OrifiinalFiled April 19, 1924 gsheeta-sgt z ATTORNEY- 7 Feb- '0 7 J. FORD BOAT OPERATING mscrmux'su OriginalFiledApril 19, 1924 sh e -s :s

ATTORNEY WITNESS:

' Patente d Feb. 22, 1927'.

if UN I Di T E .Josnrnronn, or roca'r'aLno, IDAI-IQ,

BOAT-OPERATING IIVIEFCHANISMF Application filed'April lE), 1924, SerialNo. 707,784. Renewed Jul-y 10, 192G.

- This invention relates to operating mechanisms'for boats and isespecially designed for use upon boats of the catamaran type.

' An object of the present invention is'toi provide anoperatingmechanism which in-" cludes a driving mechanism and a steeringmechanism constructed as a unit and capa-' ble of being removablysecured in position for use.

vision of novel means for mounting and sup- Figure 5.

porting the driving means and for mounting and supporting the steeringmechanism upon the driving mechanism, means being ,"provided forsecuring the first mentioned mechanism to" theboat' while the steeringmechanism will be operatively supported upon the driving mechanism.

Another object of the invention isthe provision of a boat operatingniechani'sm as above set forth which is simple in construction, easilyoperated so as to drive the boat at a comparatively good speed and bymeans of which the direction of travel of the boat -may' be easilyregulated. a

lViththe above and other objects in view, the invention further includesthe following novel features and details of construction, to behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boat of thecatamaran type with the invention applied. V

Figure 2 is a topplan view.

Figure 3 isa front elevation. Figure 4 is a verticalcentrallongitudinalsection with the attachment in elevation.

Figure 5 is anenlarged section through the driving mechanism, thesteering mechanism being shown in elevation.

Figure '6 is a section at right angles .to

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 5'.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like characters of referencedenote corresponding parts, the boat to which the invention is appliedis shown as including spaced floats 10 which are connected by a frame 11upon which is mounted a seat 12 and by a platform 13 which is secured toand connects the floats in front of the seat.

The floats 10 may be filled with a suitable fluid or gaslto increasetheir buoyancy and. for this purpose are provided with escape or safetyvalves 14. i I The invention which is'designed for 'driv-. ing andcontrolling the direction of travel of the'iboat comprises a bearingsleeve 15" which is arranged substantially vertical and V which isprovided with laterally disposed r I g V spacedrlamping arms 16,-one. ofwhich Another object of the invention the procarries' an adjustableclampin-ginember 17, whereby the bearing sleeve 15 maybe removablysecured in place. c 7

The upper endof the sleeve 15 supportsa gear housing 18 which providesbearings for a shaft l 9. A gear 20 is secured upon this shaft withinthe housing, while mounted upon the opposite ends of the shaft '19 uponopposite. sides of the housing are crank arms 21. the outer ends ofwhich carry foot pedals 22. This portion ofthe mechanism is sopositioned with respect tothe seat 12 that the pedals 22 may beconveniently reached by the foot of the occupant of said seat fordrivingthe wheel-20.

Mounted for rotation within the bearing sleeve 15 is a shaft 23, whoseupper end has mounted thereon a pin-ion 24 which is en gaged and drivenby the gear 20. Secured upon the lower end of the shaft 23 is :a gear25whic'h'is positioned within a sec t'ional gear housing at the lower endof the cured thereon a gear which. is engaged and driven by the gear'25. -The outer end. of the shaft 29 has secured thereon a propeller 3(while-secured to the sleeve 28 adjacent the propeller is .a .rotor 31.

The sleeve carried section 26 of the gear housing carries a bearing 32for the lower end of a steering post 38 and secured upon the lower, endof this post within the section 27'of the gear housing is a gear 34.This gear engages a toothed segment which is secured to the movablesection 27 of the gear housing, so that when the steering post 33-isrotated, rotary motion will be sleeve will be moved horizontally,therotary motion of the said vsection 27 being concen-r trio with the.shaft 23.

The upper end of the shaft. 33 is mounted inra bearing 36 which extendsfrom the hearing sleeve and secured upon the upper 42/Which extends fromthe bearing sleeve 15,'so that Whenthe lever 40 is moved pivot ally thesteering/post 33 Will be rotated through the'connection' of the toothed'sg HIE/Ht 38 With the pinion 3?; .Thismovement of the steering post 33willirotate the gear stand impart rotary 'inovement to "the section 27of the gear housing through the toothed segment 35, as previouslymentioned.

Supported upon the bearing sleeve; 15 by a bracket arms 43 is a notchedsegment at and the lever 40' is adapted to be engaged in any I oneof thenotches-of this segment'to hold said lever against accidental movement.

The gear housing 18 has extending therefrom a socketed member 45forreoeiving the handle of anumbrella or the like for the protection ofthe occupant or occupantsi'ofithe' boat, While the pedals 22 haveextending therefrom yokes 46 for the reception of the heels of theoperator. 7 V

The lnvention 1s susceptible'of various changes in its form, proportionsand minor.

details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make suchchanges as properly fall Within the scope of the appended claims. Havingdescribed the invention; What is claimedis 1; An operating mechanism forboats com-.

prising a bearing sleeve, a drive shaft mo'unt-' ed therein, a'drivinggear supported by said sleeve and operatively connected to the driveshaft, means whereby the driving gear may be'rotated, 'a sectional gearhousing at one end of the drive shaft, said housing includ ing a sleevecarried section and a relatively movable section, a propellershaft,'means supported by the movable section of the gear housing forrota tably supporting the pro peller shaft, gearing connecting theshafts: and a propeller carried by the propeller shaft, supporting meansand manually con- T-his handle/or lever tO' is- :pivot'ally' trolledmeans supported in the sleeve carriedf section .of the gear housing andopera'tively engaging the relativelyinovablesection of said housing,whereby the direction of travel of the boat may be controlled. 7 v a forboats com- 2. An operating mechan sm ,prising a bearing sleeve, a driveshaft mounted therein, a driving gear supported by said sleeve andoperatively connected to the drive q a shaft, means hereby'the drivinggear may be rotated, a sectional gearuhousingfat one end of the driveshaft, said housing includ mg a sleeve carried section and a relatively;

movable section, a propeller" shaft, means supported by the movablesecton of-the' gear housing for rotatably supporting the proq pellershaft,'gear1ng connecting thef'sha'fts;

and a' propeller carried 'by-thepropeller shaft supporting means, asteering post mounted in bearings supported by the bearing sleeve and'the sleeve carried section of, the gear housing, gearing connectingsaid post and the relatively movable section of the hours ing, wherebythe latter may be rotated; to

control the direction of travel of the boat and means operativelyconnected to the post for rotating the latter. v

An operating mechanism for boats comprising a bearing sleeve,"adriveshaftmounted therein, a driving gear supported bysaid'85 V sleeveand operatively'connected to'the drive shaft, means whereby the drivinggear may berotated, a sectional gear housing at one end of the driveshaft, said housing including a sleeve carried section and a relativelyV movable section, a propeller shaft, means supported by the movablesection of ,thegear housing for rotatably supporting the propeh lershaft, gearing connecting the shafts and I propeller carried by thepropeller Sl121'ftl95" supporting means, a steering post mounted 1nbearings supported by the'bearing'sleeve and the sleeve carried sectionof the gear ,housin 'earing'connecting said post and the relativelymovable section of the heirs- 100.

ing, \vherebythe latter may be rotated to control the direction oftravel of the boat, an operating lever pivotally supported upon thebearing sleeve, anarm' rigid With's-a'id? lever and gearing connectingthe arm and steering post, whereby the latter may be ro tated. i

In testimony whereof I affix niy signatiule.

JOSEPH FORD.

